Chronologically-Ordered Quantitative Global Targets for the Energy-Emissions-Climate Nexus, from 2021 to 2050

Abstract

This work aims to organize selected global targets set by the two international organizations: IEA (International Energy Agency) and IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), to form pathways for stopping the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, and for reaching a condition of net-zero CO2 emissions through accelerating the transition to clean-energy consumption, thereby decelerating the rate of climate change. In achieving this aim, three energy-emissions-climate (EEC) outlook scenarios are discussed and selected targets from them are listed here after being grouped chronologically, from 2021 to 2050. The majority of these targets (54 total) belong to the years 2030 (23 targets) and 2050 (16 targets). However, the years 2021, 2025, 2035, 2040, and 2045 have one or more targets as well. The outlook scenarios considered here are: (1) Net-Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE) of IEA, (2) Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS) of IEA, and (3) 1.5°C Scenario by IRENA. The IEA-NZE and IRENA-1.5°C scenarios both imply limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5°C, and reaching global net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The IEA-SDS scenario is less strict, allowing a slightly-higher global temperature increase of 1.65°C and having a later deadline of 2070 for reaching global net-zero CO2 emissions.